Students interested in practicing their American Sign Language (ASL) skills outside of the classroom now have the opportunity to do so. Cecelia Cannavo, American Sign Language Teacher, launched Silent Community Lunch this year, where there is 0% spoken language and 100% ASL. 

“My ASL students from spring semester ’22 inspired me to start Silent Community Lunch,” Cannavo says. “Once I realized that this project had meaning for many students and could be used as a tremendous asset, I sent out an initial email asking others for any interest. The answer was a resounding ‘YES PLEASE!!!’”

So far, the lunches have been a success. 

“We now have so many students interested in this opportunity, we need to set up a rotation to make sure everyone gets a seat at our round tables (round tables being ideal for communication access),” she says. 

During these lunches, students work on their proficiency in ASL and learn about one another. 

“From the moment the Silent Community Lunch members set foot in the dining hall on Tuesday, all the way to the time they leave, they are putting ASL on their hands and in their eyes,” she says. “ We’ve talked about favorite movies growing up and the kinds of foods we like.” 

Cannavo adds, “I am overwhelmed with immense excitement and pride that my Forman family wants to know, love, and appreciate the language as much as I do.”